Palestinians living in the UAE are calling for a boycott of the Burger King chain for operating a restaurant in a Jewish settlement in the occupied West Bank, the Gulf News reported.

A meeting of Arab foreign ministers in Cairo this week resolved to put pressure on the fast food firm to close its franchise store in Maale Adumim, which lies on the outskirts of occupied east Jerusalem, the daily added.

They threatened to end contracts for Burger King's 84 branches across the Arab world of which has six restaurants in the UAE, and predicted all would be forced to close if the Arab League adopted a boycott.

Palestinians in the UAE were reported by the paper as saying that the company is giving legitimacy to Jewish occupation of Arab lands by allowing the franchise restaurant to operate.

Mohsen Arafat, brother of the Palestinian President Yasser Arafat, a dentist in Abu Dhabi, was quoted as saying that "we have been calling for the closure of this outlet for over a year, but with no response. It is time to take action and not just issue threats. The Arab League should take an immediate decision.

"Boycott offices in the Arab countries have become very lenient. Many companies that cooperate with Israel have branches in Arab countries. The only remaining boycott is just to Israeli companies,” he added - Albawaba.com